Deva slipped as quietly as she could through the trees, making certain not to step on anything that would make even the slightest sound. She spotted a small clump of bushes that would be the perfect spot to hide. She settled behind the shrub and pulled her cloak around her so she remained hidden.

A slight rustling drew her attention as she shifted her eyes to the right, where she spotted Holly shimmying up a tree. She silently cursed as she watched her friend. Holly was good at a lot of things, climbing trees wasn't one of those things. Actually, she could climb up them perfectly fine, it was maintaining her perch once in the tree.

Deva was about to call out to Holly and tell her she should pick a different spot to hide, when she heard a small noise that alerted her to another presence. She held still, watching the surrounding forest from her hiding spot. Concealment was the goal of the day. Now that Morgan was gone, they had returned to Redmont and their training.

After several tense and silent moments, she saw her father glide out of the trees. He moved slowly and almost silently, the only sign of his movement was a small rustle from his cloak and only because she knew the sound well was she able to recognize it. It was likely no enemy would recognize that small sound.

He glided to a stop very near where she was hidden and a smile crept across his features. "You may as well come out of there, Deva. You do know that your boot is showing."

She didn't move a muscle. He could be bluffing and any movement could give her away so she remained still and silent.

After another minute passed, he reached into the bushes, grasped a hold of her cloak and hauled her free of the clinging shrub. "Hello, daughter."

She raised a hand and gave him a small wave. "Hello, Dad!"

He chuckled. "I told you to come out."

She shrugged. "I didn't know if you were bluffing to get me to move."

"Very smart. Let's see if we can find Holly and Logan, shall we?" He turned and began walking in the direction of the tree Holly was hiding in.

Deva winced and prayed Holly could maintain her perch in the tree. She lagged behind her father several steps in the hope he'd find Holly before she lost her perch. Of course, they were still going to have to get her out of the tree at some point.

Luck didn't seem to be with her. Will passed safely beneath Holly's tree, with Deva trailing behind him. As she walked beneath the tree, resisting the urge to look up and give away Holly's position, Holly lost her grip on the limb she was sitting on and fell with a loud squeal, landing on Deva and knocking her to the ground.

"Deva, I'm sorry, are you all right?" There was no answer. "Deva? I think I killed her!" she shouted at Will as she quickly scrambled off Deva's prone body.

Will hurried over and leaned over his daughter. "Deva?"

She groaned. "You didn't kill me, but I wish you had. You are heavy. Lay off the cake from now on! Ow!"

Holly folded her arms over her chest and sent Deva an offended look. "I'm not that heavy!"

"Yes, you are! I think you broke something or maybe a lot of somethings!" Deva groaned and complained some more as she rolled to her side and tried to gain her feet.

Will chuckled as he helped her up. "I think you'll be fine. Why don't the two of you head back to the practice clearing and I'll go find Logan."

Holly nodded eagerly and took Deva's arm to help her.

Deva yanked her arm free. "I don't think I want your help, you might try and sit on me again."

"It was an accident! I swear!" Holly insisted.

Deva grumbled and started back toward the clearing. "You should know better than to climb a tree!"

Holly sent her a pout. "I thought I would be fine. I've been practicing all on my own! I've gotten better!"

Deva sent her a glare before turning away. Holly tried to apologize some more, but Deva ignored her. Holly eventually gave up the effort, she figured Deva would be in a snit for a few hours but she'd get over it. They were best friends after all. They trudged into the clearing where Halt stood waiting for everyone to return.

He arched a brow at them. "What happened?"

"Holly decided to hide in a tree," Deva grumbled as she dropped to the ground and assumed a prone position flat on her back.

"A tree, Holly, really? I thought we learned our lesson about trees," he said with a small grin.

Holly groaned. "Not you too, Dad?" She turned and stalked over to sit beside Deva, who promptly scooted over as she sent Holly a glare.

He shrugged. "Remind me again how many times you've fallen out of a tree?"

"Not that many."

He nodded and turned to stare at the trees, searching for Will and Logan.

It took Will a good deal longer to find Logan than it had to find the girls, but he finally emerged from the trees with Logan trailing after him. "That was an enlightening exercise. I think Holly needs to practice a little tree climbing, perhaps at a safe distance from populated areas, or maybe just forget using them as cover all together."

"I think that is an excellent suggestion," Halt said with a grin.

"I hate both of you," Holly said just loud enough for them to hear.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Apprentice."

Holly chose to ignore Will's comment. The two senior Rangers set them to practicing with their bows.

Logan sidled up beside Holly, whispering to her between shots. "Crowley wants to see us."

She flashed him a grin. "Has he talked to Duncan then?"

He drew and shot, missing the bull's eye by less than an a centimeter. "His note didn't say. Just that we are to report to him at the earliest convenience."

She shot her father a glance. "And how do we do that without telling everyone where we're going?"

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out." He shrugged and fired another arrow, almost without looking. It struck beside the other one.

Holly shifted positions as she prepared to shoot again and caught Deva watching her in quiet speculation. For a moment she had the urge to run over and tell Deva what was going on. To spill Logan's secret. She squashed the urge, knowing Deva was still angry with her over the tree incident. The only thing she'd accomplish by telling Deva his secret was to shift the anger from Deva to Logan. No matter what, someone would still be upset with her.

She sighed and raised her bow after nocking an arrow in place. She needed to figure out how to make up with her best friend, because not talking to Deva just plain sucked.

***

Logan and Holly left after practice, Halt and Will had given the apprentices the rest of the day to themselves so they'd slipped away to ride to Castle Araluen to see Crowley.

They stood in his office waiting for him to speak. He stared silently down at the forged document. After several minutes of silence, he set it aside and looked up at them. "I spoke with Duncan last evening and while he was miffed by the fact you went ahead and manufactured this document without securing his agreement beforehand, he has agreed to abide by it."

Logan blinked in stunned silence as he stared at his father.

Holly gave a whoop of delight. "Really?"

Crowley smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yes, really. I've sent a message asking everyone to join us for dinner this evening. I told them I have an announcement."

Logan sucked in a breath. "You're going to tell everyone?"

Crowley nodded. "Yes I am. I'll see you both at dinner." He then ushered them from his office.

Holly grinned at him as they made their way to her room. "I guess that explains why no one protested when we said we were going for a nice long ride. I think Crowley let them know we were already going to be here."

They stepped into her room and Logan shoved the door shut behind him. "I can't believe this is actually happening."

She smiled at him, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "I told you it would work."

"It's hard to have faith when I've spent my entire life with my father unable to acknowledge my existence."

"Now you two can be a family."

He yanked her forward and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you again, Holly. I never could have done this without you."

She tilted her head back, looking up at him. "You're right, you couldn't have. I mean who would you have gotten to forge that document? My dad?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I doubt Halt would have agreed to such a thing. Besides, it was much more fun accomplishing it with you." His arms tightened around her a fraction before he let her go. "I'll see you at dinner."

Holly nodded dumbly as she watched him leave. The second he was gone she turned and dropped down across the bed, pulled a pillow over her face and screamed into it. She was going to murder Deva for putting thoughts of Logan into her head. She couldn't like him, not that way. He was a fellow apprentice. It would be impossible. She screamed into the pillow again.

***

Crowley rose and cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. He smiled at the group gathered around the table. "We have all been through so much together and we're a family of sorts and that is exactly why I've asked you here tonight."

Halt arched an eyebrow at his old friend. "You called us here tonight to remind us of that?"

Crowley grinned at him. "No, of course not, because all of you are like family to me, I thought it only right you hear this from me first before it gets trotted out to the kingdom and the explanation becomes somewhat of a mess."

"And this required Holly and Logan getting here before us?" Halt questioned.

"Yes, you're not making much sense," Will added.

Crowley sighed. "If you'll give me a chance to get it out you'll understand." He turned and gestured for Logan to join him. When he stood beside him, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "When I was younger ..."

"Much, much, much younger!" Holly added loudly.

"Yes, Holly, much, much younger. There was a young lady who I loved very much, we never had the opportunity to live our lives together, but she gave me the most valuable thing in my life." He turned to beam at Logan. "My son."

Silence reigned at the table. Halt looked particularly stunned. Holly was the only one who cheered and clapped loudly.

Logan smiled back at his father. "I'm glad that I don't have to keep it a secret anymore."

Halt sat forward. "Why in blazes did you never tell anyone?"

Crowley sighed and explained the real story to all of them.

Halt gave his head a quick shake. "I can't believe you never told us."

"I'm sorry, truly, but I thought it was safer for Logan if we kept it quiet."

Holly jumped to her feet, ran around the table and hugged them both. "I'm just glad I don't have to keep it quiet anymore!"

Deva sent her a glare. "You knew about this?"

Holly shrugged and gestured at Logan and Crowley. "It's kind of obvious when you see them together."

Deva snorted. "Maybe to you, the rest of us obviously didn't get it."

Holly folded her arms over her chest. "Well I do have an eye for details that you don't."

"Well, you know not all of us have an eidetic memory," Deva snapped at her.

Crowley spoke before the two girls could begin an argument. "That's enough. We're here to celebrate the fact that I can now claim Logan as my son. Not so the two of you can bicker about how it happened."

The two girls looked sheepishly at Crowley before apologizing.

"Apologies accepted, now let's eat!" Crowley announced.

Holly ran over and sat back down. Deva immediately threw a roll at her head. With a grin, Holly threw one back.

Halt and WIll watched their daughters with amusement as they bickered good-naturedly. Near to them, Logan and Mitchell were talking animatedly about Holly's fight with Morgan.

Halt looked at his former apprentice with the barest hint of a smile touching his lips. "We did well."

Will nodded his agreement. "Yes, that we did. Let's hope things will remain quiet now that we've taken care of Morgan." His eyes went back to his daughter. "I only wish Alyss were here to see this."

Halt nodded in agreement and snorted when Holly whipped another roll at Deva. He shook his head, refocusing on Will. "What more could those mountains possibly be hiding? I think we've finally put an end to Morgarath's legacy."

Crowley nudged him from the other side. "Don't go buying trouble, my friend. No one knows what else may reside in those mountains."

"I think it would be fair to say we've dispatched what remains of Morgarath's family," Halt replied.

Will nodded in agreement. "I'll second that."

Crowley simply gave them a long look before turning back to the rest of those gathered around the table. Cassandra caught his eye and raised her glass to him in a silent toast. He returned the gesture.

Halt was correct, at least he prayed he was, and they were finally rid of Morgarath's legacy. Perhaps they could get the three apprentices through the rest of their training with little trouble. Four, he corrected himself when he heard Mitchell's loud laughter at something Logan had said.